Check valve device



Feg lg. 23, 1943. I T. MOCLURE 2,311,851

' I CHECK VALVE DEVICE I Filed Nov. 27, 1941 INVENTOR GLENN T. Mc CLURE BY m w ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 23, 1

canon VALVE DEVICE Glenn '1. McClure, McKeesport, Pa., assignor to The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania 1 Application November 27, 1941, Serial No. 424L616 4 Claims. (01. 251-118) V This invention relates to fluid actuated devices and more particularly to a double check valve device adapted to control the now of fluid under pressure between either one of two separate pipes and a third pipe.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved double check valve device.

One type oi. double check valve device heretofore commonly employed comprises a casing, within which is disposed a cylindrical bushing, which bushing is provided, at a certain distance from each end, with ports leading from the interior thereof to a common outlet pipe. The bushing is closed at each end by a cap member and the cap member at each end is provided with a through passage leading from the interior of the bushing to a separate pipe. Each of these cap members may be removably secured to the casing in any suitable manner.

Containedin the bushing is a double seated piston valve member adapted to open communication between one of said pipes and the port at the same end of the bushing leading to the common pipe and to close communication between the port at the other end of the bushing leading from the common pipe to the other pipe, and is movable to the opposite end of the bushing to reverse the connections. As is well known in the art, the double seated piston valve member, of double check valve devices of this type, is actuated from one position to the other in the bushing by means of a preponderance of pressure on one end or the other of the valve.

In double check valve devices of this type there is provided interiorly of each end thereof a seallng gasket which is usually made of a rubber composition. The valve member oi the device is 'slidable back and forth in the bushing and is provided at each end with an annular seating rib or valve which is adapted to engage one of the gaskets to provide an air tight seal. In practice one side of the valve member may be sub- ,iect to fluid at atmospheric pressure while the other side is subjected to a much higher pressure and since the valve member must be readily movable from on control position to the other, the member will, under the influence oi this higher pressure, move quickly to its seated position. The valve member has considerable weight and strikes the gasket with considerable force. Since the seating face of the sealing ribs must not be wide and the sealing gaskets must not be too hard the valve member has a tendency to cut or so damage the gasket that leakage past the sealing rib occurs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double check valve device which will eliminate the undesirable feature above mentioned.

In accordance with the invention the improved check valve device is provided with a pair of resiliently mounted valve elements. One 01 these valve elements is carried at each end of a movable member, and each is adapted to seat on a fixed annular seat'rib to provide an air tight seal. The movable member is cushioned in its traverse from one position to the other and is provided at each end with a relatively wide seatlng rib which seats on the usual sealing gasket and thereby serves to limit travel of the movable member.

In the usual check valve device oi the type above mentioned the operating clearance between the double seated piston valve member and the bushing in which the member is slidably mounted can not be held too close for the reason that free movement of the valve member in the bushing is desirable. If, however, the clearance between the valve member and bushing should be excessive, due to poor workmanship or to wear, the piston may become cocked in the bushing and as a result, when moved into engagement with the gasket, may not seal properly and thereby permit leakage past the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double check valve device which will insure the proper seating oi the valve to provide an air tight seal even though the valve member may cock, thus eliminating the above mentioned difliculty.

In the accompanying drawing the single figure is a sectional view of a double check valve device constructed in accordance with my invention.

The check valve device comprises a hollow body portion I which, as shown in the drawing, may be open at both of its ends, one of these open ends being closed by a cap 2 and the other end being closed by a cap I. Interposed between the portion i and the caps 2 and 3 .are gaskets 4 and 5 respectively. The caps are secured to the portion I in the usual manner by means of bolts (not shown).

Contained within and having a press fit with the casing portion l is a cylindrical bushing 6 which, adjacent one end is provided with a plurality of fluid conducting ports I and which adjacent the other end is provided with a plurality of ports 8. All the ports I and 8, at their outer ends communicate with a circular chamber 9 which is in constant open communication with a passage l0 and pipe ll through which fluid under pressure may be supplied to and released from a device to be operated, such for instance as a brake cylinder or a relay valve device.

The cap 2, at one end of the body portion l, is provided with a seat rib |2 which, as shown, constitutes one end of a short tubular member I! having a press fit with the wall of a recess provided-in the cap. The interior of the member I! registers with a passage l4 to which there is connected a fluid supply and release pipe IS. The cap 3 is provided with a like construction having a seat rib I6 provided on a tubular member II which corresponds to the tubular member i3. The interior of the member I! registers with a passage l8 to which there is connected a fluid pressure supply and release pipe 19. The members I3 and I1 extend through suitable openings in the gaskets 4 and 5, respectively, so that their seat ribs l2 and I6 will be located beyond the inner surfaces of the gaskets.

Slidably mounted in the bushing 6 for movement longitudinally thereof in either direction is a check valve assemblage 20 which when moved in one direction establishes communication between the passages l4 and I and cuts of! communication from the passage ID to the passage l8, and which when moved in the other direction establishes communication between the passages l0 and I8 and cuts off communication between the passages l0 and I4.

The valve assemblage may comprise an annular valve body member 2| which has a sliding flt with the interior surface of the bushing 6. This member, intermediate its ends, is provided with an interior wall having axially disposed longitudinally extending spring guides 24 and 25 arranged one on each side thereof.

One end of the member is provided with a wide flat annular seat rib 26 which is adapted to seat on the gasket 4. The other end of the member is provided with an identical seat rib 21 which is adapted to seat on the gasket 5. It should here be mentioned that if desired the width of the seat rib may be increased up to the full thickness of the annular wall of the member, although in most cases this will be unnecessary since in or spring seat 23 practice it is found that the seat ribs as shown do not damage the gaskets 4 and 5.

Slidably guided in one end of the member if is a valve 28 made of rubber composition having embedded therein a metal plate 29 having spaced peripheral guide lugs 30 which project through the rubber composition and which are adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the member. These guide lugs interlock with an annular stop rib or lug 3| located interiorly of the member so as to prevent separation of the valve and member. Interposed between and operatively engaging the rear face of the valve and one side of the spring seat 23 is a relatively light spring 32 which, at all times, biases the valve in a direction toward the stop lug 3|.

The stop lug 3| is located rearwardly of the face of the seat rib 28 so as to maintain the valve within the end member where it will be protected against damage during assembly of the valve parts.

With the valve assemblage in the position in which it is shown in the drawing the valve 28 is maintained so positioned that when the valve assemblage is moved toward the left the valve will engage and seal on the seat rib l2. The

member 2| will then move relative to the valve and therefore against the opposing pressure of the spring 32 until such time as the seat rib 2 seats on the gasket 4 and brings the member to a stop.

The other end of the member 2| is provided with an identical valve arrangement in which the valve is indicated by the reference character I3, the spring by the reference character 34 and the stop lug for the valve by the reference character 35.

It should here be mentioned that both ends of the valve assemblage are identical but the several parts thereof have been given different reference characters so as to simplify the following description of the operation of the valve device.

Operation Assuming the several parts of the valve device to be in the position in which they are shown in the drawing, the pipe l5 and passage |4 connected to the atmosphere, and the pipe l9 and passage |8 supplied with fluid under pressure. Fluid under pressure supplied to the passage l8 acting over the inner seated area of the face of the valve 33 causes the valve to move away from the seat rib Ii against the opposing pressure of spring 34. Fluid under pressure flowing past the unseated valve and acting over the greater portion of the adjacent end of the member 2| causes the member to quickly move toward the left hand unseating the seat rib 21 from the gasket 5.

The valve assemblage now moves as a whole and the member 2| first laps the ports I in the bushing and thereby cuts oil free communication from the pipe H and passage ID to the passage i4 and pipe It. At substantially the same time as the ports 1 are lapped the member uncovers the ports I in the bushing,'thereby permitting the flow of fluid under pressure from the pipe I! and passage l8 to the passage I0 and pipe I I.

When the ports a are thus uncovered the valve 2! seals against the seat rib l2 and prevents leakage of fluid from the pipe H and passage ll to the passage l4 and pipe I! after which the member 2| moves relative to this valve until the seat rib 26 seats on the gasket 4 and brings the member to a stop.

It will be understood that the seat rib 28 being wide and flat is not liable to damage the gasket 4 especially in View of the fact that the spring 32 will dampen to some degree the force with which 7 the rib strikes the gasket.

When the pipe I9 is at atmospheric pressure and fluid under pressure is supplied to pipe I! and passage H the valve assemblage will move to its right hand position in which position it is shown in the drawing. With the valve assemblage thus positioned the ports 8 in the bushing are lapped and the ports I are uncovered thus free communication is cut off between passage I0 and passage l8 and free communication established between passage l0 and passage l4. It will be understood that the several parts of device function, upon movement of the valve assemblage to its right hand position, in the same manner as described in connection with the movement of the valve assemblage to its left hand position. 1

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten is:

l. A valve device comprising a casing having two fluid conducting communications therethrough, sealing elements carried one at each end of said casing and surrounding said fluid conducting oorzmmnloeiious, e velve body slideble longisiuolinslly of the cosine, solzl valve body lmvioe' two eilamoers extending longitudinally thereof, o.

well separating inner ends of said chambers, e seat rib at the outer one of each chamber and each adapted for seating; engagement with one of the sealing elements, is valve contained in each chamber, e stop member conieined in each chomber for maintaining each. valve z-earwardly of the xespective seal; rib, valve seat ribs carried one at each end of the casing and surrounding said fluid conducting communications, and adapted to be engaged by one of seirl valves to close one of said communications, said valve body being movable relative to the seated valve, and means for yield resisting movement of the velve body releive to the valve during the traverse of the valve body toward the sealing element.

2. A double check valve device for controlling communication through :2 ilurelity of ports, said check valve rlevice compri e e, casing, sealing elements carried opposl.,-, ends of said casing and surrounding: two 0 rl it-orbs, a hollow valve body sliclsble longiiudineily o ilie casing and the corresponding u; of said body, a poll of valves contained in said i 7, each being loooieel and maintained rearvvsi'ailv of one end of said valve body, seat ribs semis-d. one at each end the casing and surrouiui two poms, sud adopted to he engaged by the corresponding valve to close commuiiiceiion fillfmlgh at least one of sold ports, said valve body being movable relaizlve to the seeted valve, and a spring for yield ably resisting movement of the valve body rela- Live so the valve during traverse of the valve body toward the sealing element.

3, A double check valve device for controlling assembly, o resiliently mounted valve contained in each chamber, and. a, valve support conteiuel in each chamber and located rearwareily of the seat rib at each end of said body, each of said valves being adapted to engage e, sealing rib oar ried by the cover plate and surrounding the cover port at each end of the casing to provide a. leelzproof seal for cutting 01? commimicaiion from either one of said two ports and said third port.

4'. A valve for a fluid pressuie controlling valve device comprising a. hollow body" end to engage e sealing element to limit movement of said body, a, pair of valves oonteluezj,

body, one of said stops being loeeieo. oer: distance rearwarolly of one of said body 

